How To Ticket Refund (from April 2024)

If you cannot use the semester ticket at all, despite all the advantages, because you…

• are spending a semester abroad (at least 3 months during the semester)
• are doing an internship outside Germany (at least 3 months during the semester)
• as a severely disabled person you are entitled to free travel anyway
• are entitled to free travel throughout Germany for other reasons
• are unable to use public transportation due to a disability or have a medical certificate stating that you are unable to travel for at least 3 months
• you have been exmatriculated
• you are on leave of absence

you can get a (partial) refund at the AStA. This means that you can also have the fee refunded pro rata for the period in which the reason for the refund applies, but can use the semester ticket as normal for the rest of the semester.

The refund can only be applied for online via our “Ticket Refund – Application” page.

This is how the ticket refund works:

1. Go to the page “Ticket refund – application“
2. Select your reason for the refund
3. Fill out the form and upload all required receipts

The following are valid as proof

• Documents with the note “on leave of absence” for leave of absence,
• Letter from TU, host university or DAAD in the case of a stay abroad,
• Certificate of internship or thesis with details of the location outside Germany,
• Token for free travel authorization due to severe disability,
• Medical certificate as proof of inability to travel or inability to use public transportation,
• confirmation of removal from the register of students or
• the certificate of enrollment dated after the start of the semester in the case of late enrollment.

Deadlines for reimbursement of the semester ticket due to removal from the register of students are as follows
in the summer semester: 15th of September
in the winter semester: 15th of March

Deadlines for the reimbursement of the semester ticket due to a free travel entitlement, non-usability due to a disability, semester abroad and a semester on leave are in each case
in the summer semester: 30th of April
in the winter semester: 31th of October

Normally, a refund application is processed within one week. In exceptional cases, processing may take up to 2 weeks.

The legal basis for ticket refunds is the Semesterticketrichtlinie adopted by the student parliament (only available in German).

By the way: If you cannot afford the semester ticket at all, there is the so-called hardship compensation. You can find more information here.